Variegated mac, making a comeback

quinnfyre(z7 PA)May 25, 2010

Exciting news! My variegated macrophylla seems to have firmed up its leaves, potentially halted its yellowing and leaf drop, and is definitely showing the earliest of signs of starting new growth at two points. I changed two major things. I repotted it into a coconut husk chip growing medium, and I've started watering it with a higher nitrogen formula, alternating between it and VF-11. Previously it was only being watered with VF-11. Actually, I've been watering all my hoyas similarly, watering with VF-11 one time, then the next time the higher nitrogen fert. I'm seeing lots of new growth from everything now. I'll have to check if subcalva is feeling similarly inspired, tomorrow, when there is daylight.

My variegated mac started to put on some new growth very early this spring but it got kind of funky. Then I noticed that some of the newer growth from last fall had reverted back to green, so I took a cutting and started that away from the mother plant, hoping to encourage new variegated growth. There was another branch that was all green, too, but I decided to wait to take that cutting to see how the other one did. (It's just starting to pop a new vine...) Well, upon reading your post, I decided to go examine it to see if mine was showing any signs of new growth and to go ahead and take that all-green piece off to root. No new growth, but interestingly there is a peduncle forming at the end of that all-green piece! How weird that it would put on a peduncle before it tries to grow...

Anyway, I'm keeping my fingers crossed it will take off here soon. And I'm glad to heare yours is showing signs of improvement.

I have fairly large var macrophylla, it's staying variegated so far. It gets multiple peduncles and was all budded but I had to spray alcohl because the tips of the peduncles were covered with mealies. It seems to be a big mealies magnet for sure and the bat does not work on the peduncles soooo I have lost most of the peduncles. : ( But I rather have a bug free plant so I had no choice.
I put it under a cabbage palm so I can treat with more alchol and get rid of those buggers.
The blooms are very dainty and pretty pale lavender color.

Jan that is weird that the BATS does not work on the peduncles. I bet it would work best if applied just as buds were forming. I always seem to find mealies on the peduncles in amongst the buds. As much as I hate using chemical insecticides I may just have to treat my plants because mealies have been giving me a hard time on a few larger Hoyas that are a pain in the butt to treat with other methods.

Mike, I don't like using chemicals either but few of mine seems to be more mealy magnets then others.
I was talking to Hawaii grower about the bats not working on the peduncles, she told me it does not work and I do agree with her.

Mike, I was told by a commercial vendor (the former owner of Aridlands in Tucson is a member of our local C&S club) that systemics never work on cyathia. My understanding is that the "sucking up" stops at the peduncle, so flowers, pedicels, etc. are "free game" for the little buggers...

Quinn, I agree with your description of the new growth. The edges aren't cream, but just a lighter green. Well, it's the cream edges that I bought it for. I'm hoping to keep it truly variegated. And I don't mind having yet another regular mac, though this one has more long and narrow leaves and my green mac has big, wide leaves.

Quinn, congrats on your Variegated making a comeback. Mine suffered quite a bit from cold damage this very cold winter. I lost about 60% of the plant...yellowed and then fell off. That was back in Jan/Feb...it has just put out a couple of new leaves this past few days. I really thought the whole plant was a goner. I don't have a lot of variegation on the leaves that are left...mostly green with a little cream/reddish on the edges. The new leaves are coming out very nice reddish color, hopefully these will have more variegation?